Monday 06.03.2023

• Te Araroa kilometres done: 2246.5km
• Official kms: 29.2km
• Garmin kms: 31.07km
• Total time: 8:28
• Calories burned: 2904
• Body battery: 7/10
• Accommodation: tent at campsite.
• Tent nights tally: 17
• Zero days had so far: 22

https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/walking-te-araroa-3000km-for-the-key-to-life

Track me live here:

https://aus-share.explore.garmin.com/curtiss

What a cold night. It measured 2 degrees in the hut all night. Surprisingly I slept well & wasn’t too cold.

I have to put damp cold clothes back on this morning! Not looking forward to doing this, I will leave it to the last minute so I can get walking & warm up straight away.

I left just before 8, cold & bold & ready to go. It was a slow start with the track being wet with lots of roots & some steep descending.

Within 2 hours I had reached West Harper hut, an old historic hut which has a dirt floor & tree branches as it’s structure. I sat here for 10 minutes having a break, filled out the intentions book & left a note for the girls.

After taking off again I had reached the Hamilton hut junction in under 3:30 from 1st starting, I didn’t go to the hut as it is a detour, instead I carried on down the trail. It was only 10 minutes down the trail that the track became a 4wd track, this would be the trail for the rest of the day.

It seemed like I crossed the Harper river numerous times following the trail until it stayed on the true left for a few kilometres passing by the Pinnacles, what a spectacular site!

Not long after this I crossed the Harper one last time, followed the trail for a kilometre or so & then crossed over the Avoca river, none of today’s river crossings went over knee deep so that was good.

It was only 8 kilometres from this point following the river mainly on a stop bank to the campsite, I arrived here at 4:30 & got everything organised for the evening. Managing to dry out last night’s wet gear.

2 others turned up going Northbound. They are from Sydney. It was nice chatting with them over dinner.

It was a nice surprise that Alina & Ladina turned up just before 7pm, they walked the whole track today (37km). It was good to see them again. We sat around chatting until we went to bed. Lots of road walking tomorrow but I’m looking forward to getting it done & having a zero on Wednesday.